Don’t let the recent 30-degree weather fool you—it’s spring, so dig out your folding chairs and picnic blankets, because it’s almost outdoor-concert season.
WTMD’s First Thursday Concerts recently released its 2016 lineup, which kicks off at Canton Waterfront Park on May 5. On that first Thursday (hence the name), hear a trio of U.S. rockers, from the indie sounds of Ra Ra Riot, to folk-pop Hey Marseilles, to bluesy Moreland & Arbuckle.
In the following months, you can look forward to Australian indie-folk band Boy & Bear, Mexican-Americana fusion from David Wax Museum, and punky-blues by Fantastic Negrito. The concert series closes out September 1, with grunge-folk artist OJR and the winner of WTMD’s Baltimore Band Block Party.
WTMD’s First Thursdays began over a decade ago in Mt. Vernon, but migrated to Canton Waterfront Park in 2014, due to the renovation of the Washington Monument. Today, First Thursdays is Baltimore’s “largest free outdoor concert series,” according to a WTMD news release.
Concerts run from 6:30-10 p.m., featuring beer, wine, and cider from local brewhouse The Brewer’s Art, alongside grub from regional food truck vendors. Baltimore weather may be unpredictable, but First Thursdays boasts a “rain or shine” policy, so be prepared for whatever the coming months bring.
See the full lineup—as of press time—below:
May 5: Ra Ra Riot, Hey Marseilles, Moreland & Arbuckle
June 2: Boy & Bear, Andy Bopp, Basia Bulat
July 7: Moon Taxi, David Wax Museum
Aug. 4: Fantastic Negrito, The Saint Johns
Sept. 1: OJR, WTMD’s Baltimore Band Block Party winner